Beyond ECO: The future of fuel poverty support

Fuel poverty is a fact of life for 2.5 million households across England.

It is also an increasing problem, with the number of households in fuel poverty rising by just under 5 per cent from 2014 to 2015. The average fuel poverty gap – the amount by which a fuel-poor household’s energy bills exceed reasonable costs each year – was £353 in 2015. As a consequence, too many people are forced to make unacceptable choices between ‘heating or eating’.

At its worst, fuel poverty can contribute to premature winter deaths – around 10,000 deaths in 2016–2017 were related to cold homes.